The DOO (društvo s ograničenom odgovornošću) is the Serbian equivalent of an LLC or Ltd. It is the structure foreigners use to own agricultural land (which they generally cannot buy in their own name), to operate a business in Serbia, or to hold property as a corporate vehicle for tax planning. A DOO can be 100 percent foreign-owned with no Serbian co-founder required. The full registration takes about 10 working days from start to finish, runs through the Business Registers Agency (APR), and costs in the low hundreds of euros in state fees plus legal drafting. Once registered, the DOO has a tax ID, a bank account, and full legal capacity to contract.
- 1
Decide on the company name, address, and activity codes
Pick a name (it has to include "d.o.o." or the full form). Choose a registered seat address in Serbia; virtual office services in Belgrade run 30 to 80 euros per month and meet the legal requirement. Pick your primary activity code (šifra delatnosti) from the Serbian classification, plus any secondary codes you want registered for.
- 2
Draft the founding act (osnivački akt)
A Serbian lawyer drafts the founding act, which states the founders, the share capital (minimum 100 dinars by statute, though most companies start with at least 30,000 to 50,000 dinars), the registered seat, the activities, the appointment of the director, and the representation rules. Legal drafting fees run 200 to 500 euros for a single-founder structure.
- 3
Notarise the founding act
The founding act has to be signed in front of a Serbian notary. If the founder is abroad, sign a power of attorney in front of a notary in your home country, apostille it, and have your Serbian lawyer sign on your behalf. Notary fees for a single-founder DOO run 100 to 250 euros.
- 4
Pay the initial share capital into a temporary account
Open a temporary deposit account at a Serbian bank in the name of the company-in-formation. Pay the share capital (minimum 100 dinars, more is normal). The bank issues a deposit certificate (potvrda o uplati osnivačkog uloga), which goes into the registration file.
- 5
File at the Business Registers Agency (APR)
Submit the registration package at APR (Agencija za privredne registre, apr.gov.rs). The package includes the notarised founding act, the deposit certificate, the director appointment decision, the registered seat lease or owner consent, and the APR registration form. APR fees are around 4,900 dinars (about 42 euros).
- 6
Receive the registration decision and tax ID
APR processes single-founder DOO registrations in 2 to 5 working days for clean files. The registration decision (rešenje o registraciji) confirms the company exists, assigns the matični broj (registration number), and triggers automatic registration with the Tax Administration. The PIB (corporate tax ID) is issued within 1 to 2 working days after the APR decision.
- 7
Open the permanent business bank account
Take the APR registration decision, the PIB confirmation, the founder ID, the director ID, and the company stamp (if used) to the bank. Most banks open a corporate account in 2 to 5 working days. The temporary deposit account is closed and the capital transfers to the permanent account.
- 8
Register for VAT if required
VAT registration is mandatory when turnover crosses 8 million dinars in a 12-month period (roughly 68,000 euros). Companies under the threshold can register voluntarily, which is useful if customers are VAT-registered businesses. File the EPPDV form at the Tax Administration; voluntary registration takes 5 to 10 working days.
- 9
Set up bookkeeping and payroll
Every Serbian DOO has to keep statutory accounts and file an annual financial statement at APR. An outsourced bookkeeper for a small DOO with low transaction volume costs 100 to 300 euros per month. If the company hires staff or pays the director a salary, monthly payroll filings and social contributions are due by the 15th of each month for the prior month.
Practical notes
- A foreign individual can be both the sole founder and the sole director of a Serbian DOO. There is no requirement for a Serbian resident director.
- If you want the DOO to own agricultural land, register the activity code 01.11 (cereals and pulses) or another farming code in the founding act, otherwise the cadastre may refuse to register the land in the company name.
- Holding Serbian property in a DOO instead of personal name changes the tax treatment on resale. Corporate sales fall under company income tax at 15 percent on the gain, with no 10-year exemption available. Take tax advice before deciding on the structure.
- The director can be paid a small salary to qualify the DOO for the Single Permit (combined work and residence) for the director, which is one route to residency for foreign founders who want to work in their own company.
- Annual maintenance for a low-activity DOO (bookkeeper, registered seat, APR filings, tax filings) typically runs 1,500 to 3,500 euros per year. Budget for this before deciding the corporate route is worth it.